As of today, the import duties on strong alcohol from "unfriendly" countries have increased from 20% to 35% of the customs value, but not less than 5 euros per liter. This step should clear the market for the Russian producer, but it will work fully only if alternative channels for importing cheap alcohol are blocked, mainly use of the parallel import regime by night airlines.
Buyers of mass market products will be the first to feel the impact of the tariff increase. According to the calculations of the president of the Alcopro Guild, Andrei Moskovsky, a 0.7-liter bottle of 40% strength with a customs value of up to 10 euros may become more expensive by about 260 rubles - taking into account VAT and trade margins. Experts do not expect a decrease in consumption due to the increase in prices. Roslan Bragin, head of strong spirits at Port, believes there won't be a mass abandonment of familiar brands: people will start looking for better deals.
Today, many small importers operate in the wholesale market, basically night flight companies offering the same product at different prices. Parallel import - that is, the import of a certain product into Russia without the consent of the owner of the trademark or trademark - is a forced measure taken in 2022 to protect the consumer market and prevent "empty shelves" in stores.
Increasing tariffs by itself does not level the playing field if the parallel import regime remains in place, allowing fly-by-night strong alcohol imports by small companies.
The director of legal affairs of the large wine trading company Simple, speaking in October at the "Current issues of foreign economic activity" conference, spoke directly about the "vague responsibility of marketers" and the problems of quality control of imported goods through "parallel" programs.
Therefore, the regime in which goods can reach the shelf without an approved relationship with the manufacturer must be replaced by a model in which the importer is directly responsible for the product's origin.